Spain is introducing a series of new rules to help curb and control tourism in the country.
Tourism is a major economic sector, contributing 12% to Spain’s GDP and providing thousands of jobs. Last year, we saw record numbers of foreign visitors, with some 94 million people arriving in the country.
However, there has been a huge public backlash, with tens of thousands of people taking to the streets last year to vent their anger at mass tourism. This has forced the government and local authorities to implement some new rules to appease public anger.
Although some have called the new rules a “tourist ban,” they won’t stop tourists from visiting the country. Below, the Express looks at some of the new regulations and what this might mean for British holidaymakers.
The biggest change is that the EU’s Entry and Exit System (EES) will finally be launched in 2025, most likely in the year’s first half.
In addition to scanning their passports, non-EU residents will also need to scan their fingerprints and faces.
Additionally, each visitor will have to fill out a form upon first entry into the EU.
Six months after the EES is introduced, the ETIAS will follow. This is a visa waiver scheme and, again, will only apply to non-EU nationals. Brits still will not need a full-blown visa to enter Spain.
However, visitors have to apply online and pay €7 for the ETIAS, which will be valid for three years. Over 70s and under-18s do not have to pay any fee.
Spanish officials are introducing tourist taxes to help combat over-tourism.
Hotel tourism taxes will increase in Asturias, Galicia, Tenerife, Alicante and Seville in 2025.
Popular towns in Asturias plan to introduce tourist taxes in the summer of 2025, while Galicia has also decided to do the same for residents of the region.
From January 1st, 2025, Tenerife will start charging extra tourist taxes to those visiting natural areas such as Teide National Park.
Other charges to be aware of include increased fees for museums in Alicante and new fees to access Seville’s Plaza de Espana.
One issue that has infuriated residents in Spanish resorts has been the proliferation of holiday rentals.
Residents say this has led to a steep increase in rents and property prices, pricing them out of the market.
Malaga will prohibit new rental properties in 43 neighbourhoods where those apartments exceed 8% of the residential stock. The policy was enacted earlier this month and will be tested for three years.
Similarly, Barcelona plans to close all 10,000 apartments licensed as short-term rentals in the coming years to safeguard the housing supply for full-time residents.
Authorities will also deny licences to all rental properties registered after February 22, 2024. The change could have major implications for Airbnb’s popular @private room@ option, which will often see tourists residing in a separate part of the owner’s property.
Holidaymakers should also be aware that they will need to fill out more paperwork when staying in hotels and hiring cars.
This results from a new law that requires hotel owners and car rental companies to send personal information to the government for national security reasons.
